The Value of Critique Groups Redux: Norman Ledgin and the Sedulous Writers Group
Last week my critique group lost a member, Norman Ledgin. Ninety-year-old Norm had been ailing for months and had not been able to join us in person. But until just days before his death, he faithfully printed out our submissions, marked them up in his bold black pen, and returned them with his corrections and […]
Surprise Parties
I only recall one true surprise party that anyone threw for me. My spouse has probably never even thought of throwing me a surprise party, and I doubt my children have either. Most of my family members are not known for their gaiety or spontaneity, nor do I have that reputation within the family. We’re […]
Random Memory of My Dad, the Butcher
On Father’s Day, of course, I think of my father. And in the summertime, I think of summers long ago. This year, a random memory of my father popped into my head—I remembered going to see my father work as a butcher while he was in graduate school. I’ve mentioned before that we lived in […]
To the Boss on Father’s Day
In an earlier post, I told one of my favorite stories about my husband’s role as father—when he acted out a Batman and Robin book with our son. Here’s another favorite story, which happened not too long after our son’s Batman and Robin phase. Our son was about four or five. I know it was […]
Learning to Type
I wrote recently about my 8th-grade graduation in June 1999 and my parents’ absence for that event. Their absence, and in particular my mother’s inability to drive me places, caused me further consternation that summer. I had decided to enroll in a summer school class on typing at the high school that summer. As an […]
My 750th Post and an Update on Early Guest Bloggers
I was surprised to get a notice from WordPress.com recently congratulating me on my 9th anniversary on the site. I guess I did register with them back in 2010, though the first blog I kept was anonymous, and has since been taken off public view. I started my current blog on WordPress.com in January 2012, […]
Fifty Years Ago: My 8th Grade Graduation
I wrote recently about my daughter’s 8th-grade graduation in 1999. After I wrote that post, I realized my own 8th-grade graduation was thirty years earlier—in late May or early June 1969. That’s fifty years ago—hard to believe it is half a century in the past. No lightning struck our house on that occasion, but it […]
Recipe: A New Cake from a Mix
I’ve written before about the decadent Nadine Spanner chocolate cake. But when my husband and I are busy, we have another go-to cake that is much easier. It is from the Arrow Rock cookbook, and, while it is not a new recipe anymore, it must have been new at some point, and its name remains […]
Writing Contests: Feedback and Validation . . . And a Plug for OWFI and KCWG
I wasn’t able to go to the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. (OWFI) writing conference earlier this month. I’ve been several times in prior years, and I always get something out of it. (See here and here for earlier posts about OWFI conferences.) But I did submit several pieces to the OWFI contest this year. Writing […]
Oregon Spectator, May 22, 1851
Sometimes when I’m stuck on my historical novels about Oregon Territory, I go out to the Oregon Spectator newspaper for the month that I’m writing about and look for inspiration on what was actually on the minds of citizens of the day. I didn’t know what to write in today’s post, though I knew I […]